Election Day

At our core, we are uncertain about our national identity

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Here we are. The sun has set across most of the United States on “the day before.” Tomorrow, or today depending on when you are reading this, is Election Day. 

According to the Associated Press style guide, Election Day is to be capitalized. It is a proper noun, a day circled on the calendar, a day of consequence and import. 

What is there to say about this Election Day that hasn’t already been said? Very little. All there is to do is to await the final judgment. Will it be a decisive moment or a muddled narrative? On that, there is no shortage of opinion. The range of what even “responsible” observers think is possible is about as wide as the Rocky Mountains. 

Why this is the case says a lot about the skittishness around polls. We treat them with healthy skepticism. We have been burned in the past. 

But it’s not just that. The polls are all over the map, literally and figuratively. There are races that could decide the House and Senate in many different states. Meanwhile, those from both sides of the political divide can cherry-pick data to support their fervent hopes, or their deepest fears. We just don’t know.

Perhaps there is also something more fundamental at play. Perhaps a key reason we are so uncertain about tomorrow is that at our core, we are uncertain about our national identity.

Are we the United States that elected Barack Obama, twice and by large margins?

Or are we the United States that elected Donald Trump (albeit without a majority in the popular vote)? 

Are we a United States hopelessly divided, or one seeking unity? 

Are we a United States looking to return to a mythic and far less equal past, or one embracing a multiethnic future? 

Are we a United States that bans books, or one that seeks to expand the voices to whom we listen? 

Are we a United States that embraces its democratic traditions, or one that slides amiably toward autocracy? 

Are we a United States that respects the autonomy of women over their own bodies, or one that imposes the will of state control? 

Are we a United States that recognizes truth, facts, and science, or one that promotes ignorance and conspiracy theories?

These questions, and many others, pull at us, shake our confidence, and undermine our sense of self. We are all of these, to varying degrees. We are, after all, a big, diverse, complicated, continental nation full of contradictions. Our divisions are rooted in our history and our culture. 

We have always been a nation lurching toward an uncertain destiny — both liberated by our most noble ideals and tethered by our prejudices. The question in each election is, at that moment, which vision of the United States prevails. Who will be given the power to shape our future? 

We will know once all the ballots are counted. (That may take awhile, so we’ll need to be patient.) Right now, all we can do is vote, if we haven’t already, and encourage others to do so. 

In times like this, a mantra of “steady” may seem incongruous. That is what makes it all the more necessary. Regardless of what happens this Election Day, the fight for a more just, more free, more empathetic America will continue. 

Finally, to all those who kindly inquired about my health after my COVID diagnosis, I am happy to report that after getting vaxxed to the max, and treated with Pax(lovid), I have never been more positive about being told I’m negative. Still must be cautious to guard against a “rebound” but am optimistic. Thanks for all your well wishes. They mean a lot, as does this community. Whatever happens tomorrow, we will be there for each other. 

Steady.

Note: If you are not already a subscriber to our Steady newsletter, please consider joining us. And we always appreciate you sharing our content with others and leaving your thoughts in the comments